Faith and Religion

A few years ago a good friend asked me if I could explain to her the difference between faith and religion. As I look back on that time now, I find that I am extremely disappointed with where I was in my faith. When she asked me that question, I wasn't able to answer her honestly; I gave her a cd of a sermon I had heard on the subject and that was the end of it. I love this friend very much, yet I have never once asked her what her convictions are, if she believes in God, or what she thinks will happen when she dies. Back then, I had religion and I went to church every Sunday, but my faith was lacking; it was something I kept to myself. Today my faith is something deep and true, it's something I'm excited to share, and I'm finally ready to give an answer to her very important question.

When I hear the word "religion" I think of stiff traditions; I think of doing things just to do them because they've always been done. I also think of rituals, and needing to perform them because somehow you think they will get you closer to God. For me personally, religion is thinking you can follow enough rules, go to enough church services, and check enough boxes in hopes that you will you pass some sort of test. Religion on its own means absolutely nothing; religion apart from faith is empty.

Religion is not necessarily a bad thing, but when rituals take the place of relationship, it is not beneficial. I go to church every week; I enjoy the fellowship and truly, I need it. Worshiping God in the presence of other believers keeps me accountable, it's a "spiritual checkup" of sorts for me, and I long for those precious hours in that sanctuary each week. Church is not what saves me though; baptism, though I have been baptized does not guarantee that I will be accepted into heaven; sharing in communion does not cleanse me from my sin. These traditions are things we do as an outward testament and remembrance of our Lord, but in and of themselves they are not necessary. What is necessary is faith, and yes, it is true that through faith you will most likely enter into some traditions, faith in Jesus is the pivotal key; apart from that, nothing else matters.

What is faith? To me, faith is relationship; it is becoming best friends with Jesus. Faith is believing in something, or someone you can't see. So how can you be best friends with someone you can't see? The beautiful mystery is that when you step out in faith, and put your trust in Him, His Spirit fills you, and you find that you don't have to physically see Him to truly feel Him. Faith is a choice I make each day. There are days that I fail miserably, but the big picture is that by faith I asked Jesus to save me, to free me from my sin, to forgive me, and to live in me as I live for Him. He is my Savior, and though religion will someday pass away, my faith in Jesus never will.

Faith will most certainly lead to action in my life; though works are not necessary for salvation, faith without action is not really faith at all (James 2:14). You see, when a believer truly lives a life of faith, it exudes into every part of their life; when you live by the Spirit and trust in His leading, you will find yourself doing works you never would have thought you would do. The thing we need to remember though is that no amount of action, works, or 'religion' will set us apart for eternity in heaven; salvation is a free gift, it is laden with love, and all that it requires is a heart willing to receive it (Ephesians 2:8-9).

God doesn't ask me to pray a specific prayer five times a day, he doesn't ask me to kneel in front of a statue, or to light a candle, and He doesn't tell me that, as a woman, I must wear a skirt instead of pants to worship Him... He just asks me to trust Him, to put my faith in Him, and to have a relationship with Him. He gave His life for me, for you, and for all who believe and trust in Him. It's a free gift open to all who are willing; are you willing?

Faith is the air that gets me through each day; that's how I describe it in my own life. Without religion I would get by, but without faith I would be lost; without faith there is death and more death, but with faith there is life and more life (Romans 6:23, James 1:12).

This world seeks to bring people down; wealth is empty, sin is rampant, and evil intent seeps through every crevice it can. What is true? Who is trustworthy? What is love? Forgiveness? Where is hope found? What is the meaning behind this life? What lies after death? Religion alone can't answer these questions. If you want to have peace, have trust, and find hope, turn to Jesus and begin a life of faith in Him.

My faith is in Jesus Christ, and the more time I spend with Him, talking, listening, and reading His word, the more His love pours out of me.

Life on this earth is fleeting and empty without faith, but the life of faith is rich, and full, and eternal.

Living by faith will fill you with hope and love; faith doesn't promise that life will be easy, in fact it may even be harder, but when you put your life in Jesus' hands He will bring you peace and see you through each and every trial.

Religion is temporary; faith and life in Jesus is eternal.

I've discovered something very important this year: If I truly believe that eternity is real, if I honestly believe in heaven and hell, and if I really am living a life of faith in Jesus, I have to share it. God has put people in my life for a reason, and in every relationship and every situation that comes my way, by faith I should exclaim who He is. I have failed to do that so many times in the past, and I will most likely fail here and there in the future, but as I grow closer to Him and as my faith gets stronger, His strength fills me and His voice within me is getting louder and louder. I want my friend to know that my faith is who I am, it really is what defines me; I'm not perfect, and I do fail, but in the end Jesus forgives my failures, He picks me up, dusts me off, and leads me forward.

What do you believe in? Where do you put your faith? Where is your hope found? Do you want to live a life of love? Do you believe there is more to this life than what you can see? Can you feel eternity in your heart?

Seek Jesus, and you will find the answers and the peace that your heart is longing for.

 

Giving Thanks for the Victories

It's a Monday night, I just got my kids in bed, and all is quiet in our house.  I'm exhausted from battling a cranky, napless 21 month old all afternoon, and I'm still a week away from seeing my husband again.  As I sit here, I have a feeling a peace washing over me;  God carried me through another day, and I am so thankful for that. 

Every once in a while at church I will hear something that sticks with me throughout the week;  it doesn't happen every week, but when it does it's like another little seed planted in my soul.  This week was one of those weeks.  Our pastor spoke on trust, and on how we are to "breathe spiritually";  we exhale all the impure air by confessing our sins as soon they happen, and we inhale God's spirit through faith.  I love that picture of breathing God in;  with each breath in we can be filled with Him, with each breath out we rid ourselves of unholiness.  When we trust in God and walk with Him, getting through trials in this life can be as easy as breathing;  it can be natural and automatic because there is a never-ending supply of His Spirit, and as Christians we need His Spirit in order to live. 

I really enjoyed the sermon, and as the pastor continued on and began to talk about how we should be prepared for conflict, he uttered these words, "If there are no battles, there will be no victories."  He said it so quickly in the course of his talk that it could have easily slipped through the cracks of my mind, but didn't, it stuck.  I thought about those words for a long time, and suddenly I started to thank God for the battles in my life because of this truth: the victories I have today would not have looked like victories if not for the battles I've come through. 

The biggest victory for me this year is that I still have a husband;  I am still in love with the man I married 11 years ago, and not only that but I love him more today that ever before!  Victory!  We have three amazing, healthy boys after we struggled for so long just trying to get pregnant, and after losing our first baby...there's victory in that!  We have a home, and my husband has a job when so many people at this point in time don't.  There are victories all around me, and though the battles can tough, we need to fight through them knowing that in end, with God by our side, victory will be ours! 

James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." 

I fell in love with that verse this week.  In light of my new view of battles, the fact that perseverance MUST finish it's work so that I can be mature and complete is simply amazing to me.  We must walk through trials so that His work can be completed in us,  and so that we will not "lack anything". 

Psalm 30:11-12 says, "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." 

My heart is singing tonight because of the victories I have through my walk with God;  though battles have threatened to destroy me, I have found victory in Him and I will not be silent! 

Are you clothed with joy because of  the victories in your life?  Even if you are in the midst of battle right now, look around and see His work in your life...give thanks and praise to Him who will never leave you! 

Give thanks for the victories, and live by faith, trusting in Him to see you through.

When Your Walk Becomes a Crawl

In the 90's DC Talk release a song called "What if I Stumble".  The chorus says this:

 

"What if I stumble?  What if I fall?

What if I lose my way and I make fools of us all?

Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?

What if I stumble?  What if I fall?

 

What if I stumble?  What if I fall?

You never turn in the heat of if all

What if I stumble?  What if I fall?"

 

 

 

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about stumbling.  I've been meditating and praying about what redemption looks like for a believer who falls.  I know that when an unbeliever comes to Christ they are "born again", they repent, turn away from their "old self", and become a new creation in Christ.  What happens though when that "new creation" loses it's way?  Is it possible for someone who is "born again" to again be redeemed?   The answer that keeps rolling through my mind is, "Of course!" 

 

We are all sinners, right?  All of us; even those who have claimed Jesus as their Savior for years.  The beautiful, undeserving gift behind the cross is that every sin, no matter what it is or when it occurs, is covered by the blood that was shed there.  Thank you, Father! 

 

When our "walk becomes a crawl" does He turn away?  No!  Though we struggle through our sin, our emotions, and our choosing to separate ourselves from Him by our choices, He is still the same! 

 

Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

 

Nothing can separate us from Him;  He "never turns in the heat of it all". 

 

Someone I love very much is struggling with the feeling of not deserving God's love because of sin that was in their life;  it's a journey that they're on, a part of their life that they are crawling through.  God is faithful though, and no amount of time, or of hurt, or of anything else in this world will separate them from Him.  He is patient through the storm. 

 

I mention this because I struggle with Christians' reactions to sin in other Christians' lives.  We alienate each other when sin rears it's ugly head.  I have thought on this quite a bit lately, and the answer I keep getting is that we need to show "perfect love".  Perfect love is the kind of love that is tough when it needs to be, but merciful and gracious to a fault.  Sin isn't okay and it needs to be rooted out; sometimes a believer can be so wrapped up the tentacles of sin that they are almost unrecognizable, but underneath it all they are still a child of God and still deserving of love.  It's a delicate procedure, separating the believer from the sin, but when it happens and repentance comes, perfect love let's go of the past and in front of it sees only Christ's redeeming blood covering over God's beloved creation.  Perfect love shows mercy and grace; it forgives, forgets, and moves on in faith. 

That's the kind of love Christ gives us;  why is that so hard for us to give that to each other? 

 

I was reading in Luke this morning, and two verses caught my attention: 

 

"...there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:7

 

"...there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."  Luke 15:10

 

 

Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents;  it doesn't doubt his sincerity, or cautiously approach saying, "well, we'll see...":  Heaven REJOICES!  God doesn't call back into view the past;  He doesn't throw the sin of the man in the man's face...it's covered up by His Son's blood when that man places it at the foot of the cross.  It is finished. 

 

Perfect love loves at all times, even through the storm.  God doesn't "turn in the heat of it all", and neither should we. 

 

Last night I had a friend over for dinner.  I was making lasagna, and as I went to pull it out of the oven I lost my grip and suddenly hot spaghetti sauce, cheese, and noodles covered my kitchen floor.  It was a mess, and worst of all I no longer had dinner to offer my friend.   I looked up at her shocked face, and instantly we burst into laughter;  really what else can you do in these situations?  She pulled the trash can over and together we went to work cleaning up the mess I had made;  side by side, each naturally taking up a job in the process that needed to be done.  Soon the ill-fated dinner was in the trash, the kitchen was cleaned, and Plan B (chicken nuggets...for the kids) was in the microwave.  You see, life can be messy sometimes;  we can have a plan, but sometimes we just drop the lasagna.  As a family of believers, God doesn't tell us to sit back and point fingers while the one who lost his grip struggles to clean up the mess alone. He tells us to step in, come along side, and together clean it up.  You may not burst into laughter over it the situation, it may actually may cause many tears, but ultimately mercy and grace are to prevail.  That's the love of Christ. 

 

"Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?"  Christ's love will always continue;  His perfect love never changes.  If we are true Christ followers, we need to have that love for one another;  do not merely listen to the Word...do what it says.  (James 1:22)     

The truth is that none us deserve love; we all fail, but it's not about "deserving".  Love is a gift that we give to each other, freely.  In the end, we actually all deserve death, but "the GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus."  Praise be to God that He gave us the perfect example of perfect love.

Is someone that you love crawling through their spiritual life right now?  Love them, completely;  be tough when you need to be, but don't give up.  Sin is strong, but Christ's love is stronger.   

 



God has power over every situation, every illness, and every weakness.  By faith, and through prayer we can be set free!

My San Diego Girl

The closer I get to God, the more I see His work in my life on a daily basis, and the more I recognize the things in my past that have brought me to where I am today.  I believe God puts people and situations in our path everyday that are meant to test us and refine us;  sometimes we rise to the challenge, and sometimes we face the regret of opportunities missed...

If I close my eyes, I can see her face;  she is in her early 20's, my age back then.  She has light brown hair that is matted into dreadlocks;  she's wearing jeans, and a navy blue zip-up hoodie over a dark pink shirt.  She has the red strap of a cloth messenger bag running from her left shoulder to her right hip; it gently reveals the telltale bump as it crosses her abdomen.  In her hand she holds a cardboard sign that says:  Homeless, Pregnant, Help.  There was something about her that pulled at my heart;  I passed by her on my way to work everyday for about a month as she stood at a busy San Diego intersection.  One day she was gone, and 11 years later I'm still sitting here wondering what ever happened to her.  I'm haunted by her face, and by what I knew back then yet chose to ignore:  I was supposed to do something.
 
I know that God knows what we're going to do before we do it, and I know that He knew I wouldn't have it in me at that point in my life to pull over, and to figure out a way to help.  I was young, immature, and quite selfish, but I believe that God allowed my path to cross hers to teach me a lesson I will never forget.  It's not a lesson that I learned over night, but one that has become clearer as His Spirit has increased in me.  Back then, I skated by, only letting in as much of Him as I felt I needed;  today, my heart's door is wide open, and I continually ask Him to fill me. 

I believe that God puts opportunities in front of us through which He tests our faith;  He already knows where we are in relation to Him through His Spirit, but I look at these tests as self-evaluations...how would you grade yourself on matters of the Spirit?   11 years ago I would give myself a D- on that front;  I was at least able to feel the Spirit pulling, but feeling and doing are two very different things. 

I know that God forgave me for not helping my San Diego girl, but I hold her image in my head to remind myself not to miss an opportunity like that again. 

Let me stop here and say that I don't believe that you should throw all of your money or time at each and every person on the street;  there needs to be caution and responsibility in it, but when you're living by the Spirit you will be able to recognize the right way to handle each situation. 

Luke 6:30 says, "Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Matthew 5:42 says, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

Deuteronomy 15:11 tells us, "There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."

John 15:12 says, "Love one another as I have loved you."

James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Give to everyone who asks??  Be openhanded??  Love one another completely...does that really include everyone???  Yes.  The bible doesn't say, "Help only those in your family", or "Help those who help you."  It clearly says "everyone", and it commands us to not just recognize those words, but to follow through in doing them. 

Had I made different choices in my life, I could have been that pregnant, homeless girl standing on a busy street corner;  by God's grace alone, my life is vastly different from that.  My hope is that someone did stop to help her; my hope is that whoever did so introduced her to Jesus, so that her and her little baby would find a better life in Him.  At that point in my life, I wasn't ready to do that; God knew that I wasn't yet He allowed me to feel the pull on my heart, and to feel the emotions that come in the wake of a missed opportunity.  

I was walking out of the grocery store this week when a man asked me for money, "A nickel?  A quarter?, " he said, "Anything would help..."  I did what I usually do in those situations: I put my head down, and muttered, "Sorry, I don't have any cash right now..."  I made it to my car before I once again recognized the familiar pull on my heart, "Do something," it said, "anything will help..."  I dug through my change tray, quickly found a few quarters, breathed in God's courage, and then approach the man in need.  He gratefully accepted my offering, and that was it;  I got in the car and drove home.  It was so simple, yet so powerful;  the work of the Spirit often is.  God's love doesn't have to be shown in huge, mountain moving ways; sometimes His love takes the shape of a few quarters from the change tray. 

Do you feel a pull on your heart to help someone?  To give grace, or money, or time?  That pull that you're feeling is the Holy Spirit in you.  When you allow Him to work in you and when you step out in faith to do even the smallest of things, His love will be glorified, multiplied, and magnified through you.  It's not your work, or your money, or your time...it's His, and through it He will bless you, and He will draw you even closer to him.  Don't miss the opportunity to do His work, to share His love, and to be His vessel of hope in this world. 

 I never want to forget the face of my San Diego girl;  though I never met her, she taught me quite a bit about myself and about who I want to be.